BENEFICIAL BONUSES

An industrious bee laboured diligently in the apiary of his master. Thrilled with the sweetness of his own honey, the bee thought to present it to Jupiter as a gift.” Jupiter was delighted and promised it anything he wanted. He asked for a sting powerful enough to kill anyone who approached his hive to take honey. Jupiter was dismayed because one of the visitors to the hive would certainly be the beekeeper. Angry, He scolded the bee: “I’ll grant your wish but not exactly how you’d hoped. You shall have the sting. When you attack, the wound shall be fatal-but to you. You shall lose your life along with your sting.”

AESOP’S MORAL:

Plotting against your neighbour will bring misfortune upon you.

MORAL:

‘Putting self-interest ahead of the greater corporate good will eventually lead to failure.’

Bonuses are intended to acknowledge outstanding contributions by employees to an organization’s success. Generally, this is interpreted to mean that those who receive bonuses contribute more to the organization’s well-being – which is not always the case.

In awarding bonuses, an organization should exercise care in rewarding performance. For example, a positive result may have been achieved but a negative attitude or behavior may have achieved it. Rewarding such negative attitude or behavior may encourage such an employee to repeat it for the reward which would not be good for the organization in the long run.

Apportioning bonuses fairly:

1. Tie incentives/bonuses to the entire welfare of the organization else a section of the organization may value its own success above that of the organization.

2. Employees should become aware of and value the organization’s wellbeing above theirs or any particular section of it.

3. Bonuses should not be expected or disbursed as a right at the end of each year but should be tied to the organization’s turn over and be expected to vary depending on results achieved during that year.

4. Bonuses should not be restricted to any particular group of people within an organization; it should include employees that contributed to the organization’s success in any way either through, inventions, ability, industry, loyalty or exceptional service.